Page 13 - Spring 2016 Newsletter

we still await statutory registration for the term ‘psychologist’.”
to certiications between institutions in diverse countries is another

challenge that needs to be addressed. As such, the Organization and our
“In CANADA, AASP certiication doesn’t entail any additional
membership would beneit from creating strategies with the purpose
recognition. Personally, I’m not CC-AASP Certiied and I’m not

considering it as a short-medium goal, as the athletes and organizations of attracting new certiied members on a world level, simultaneously

removing the roadblocks for certiication and re-certiication.
that I’ve worked with do not require such certiication.”

Professionals outside of the U.S. face additional challenges when they
“In the UNITED KINGDOM we have two routes for accreditation: a)
want to obtain recertiication. As recertiication requires participating
through the British Association for Sport and Exercise Science, and
in a minimum of two AASP Annual conferences, along with the extra
b) through the British Psychological Society, which in themselves are
time and inancial resources international professionals have to
costly and time consuming. As a BASES accredited Sport and Exercise
invest, this requirement often offers an additional challenge to applied
Scientist my opinion is that, once you have one or both of these UK

practitioners. Therefore, it is suggested that the AASP re-certiication
accreditations, you are qualiied to practice and therefore, CC-AASP is
committee creates alternative strategies, which allow overcoming
surplus to requirement. I am not CC-AASP as the certiication doesn’t
the unique challenges faced by international professionals who want
carry much weight in the UK.” Added another UK colleague: “Many of
to pursue their re-certiication. Since we are in an era of technology,
the few performance enhancement jobs that do become listed here in
to overcome some of the obstacles mentioned above, providing a
the UK all require being a BPS chartered sport psychologist - AASP

means nothing.”
selection of online AASP conference sessions, for instance, including

the keynote sessions and other key sessions based on the market needs

“As I have done two masters and a PhD in the U.S. in heavily applied and personal interests of the international professionals pursuing CC-

programs, getting AASP certiication was not an issue. Ironically, the AASP re-certiication could be a viable solution. Furthermore, in order

hassle for me has been getting certiied through the Swiss Association to assist consultants who are starting their full-time businesses and

of Sport Psychology. In SWITZERLAND, the value of CC-AASP status have low inancial resources, it may be helpful to have AASP create

does not mean much among practitioners, and consumers simply don’t
travel awards for full-time international consultants in order to support
know about AASP.”
their participation in the annual conference.

Becoming CC-AASP outside the U.S. is still a very rare practice, as International communities may greatly beneit from acquiring

illustrated by the percentages included in this article, and supported knowledge about CC-AASP and from AASP creating conditions to

by the individual quotes above. The testimonials of our international increase the number of international certiied professionals with

colleagues convey a common message regarding challenges applied experience in performance enhancement. In the U.S., potential

international professionals face. Speciically, bureaucracies, little or
clients may visit AASP’s website and use the “CC-AASP Finder” to
no reciprocity between national certiications, lack of knowledge about
select a certiied consultant (taking into consideration their area of

CC-AASP, as well as lack of recognition and beneits associated to this residence, as well as their specialty). I am often contacted to refer

status outside the U.S. are common deterrents to acquiring CC-AASP applied consultants in diverse countries in Europe and I feel there is

credentialing. Additionally, outside the U.S. employment requirements not enough information available to allow me to fulill this task. It is

usually do not include CC-AASP status, and consequently many my wish that such an online resource will also be operational in the

professionals end up not obtaining this certiication. Hence, there
near future as the number of CC-AASP professionals increases in
is a need to educate institutions and the general public regarding
more countries. This resource may guide and assist potential clients

this matter. In addition, inding ways to bring beneits to CC-AASP outside the U.S. making informed decisions while hiring qualiied

professionals outside of the U.S., as well as a common ground relative
professionals.

AASP Newsletter // Spring 2016 // The International Value of CC-AASP

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